When to Feed Your Bees
When to Feed Your Bees
Feed your bees when:
- Natural honey or pollen is unavailable and stores are inadequate.
- The colony is facing starvation.
- It is necessary to supply medication (chemotherapeutic agents).
- You want to stimulate brood production and colony growth.
Seasonal Considerations
Fall
Bees in Pennsylvania need about 70 pounds of honey to get through the winter. It is critical for the beekeeper to determine if those honey stores are in the hive already (at least 15 frames of honey). If not, then the beekeeper must start feeding a 2:1 ratio of sugar to syrup.
Why 2:1 and not 1:1? At this point, you don't want to overstimulate going into winter (which a 1:1 will do). In addition, a 2:1 (mixture/syrup) will contain less water. Bees need to be getting rid of most of the water and pack the "food" away. Time is running short so they must be given "food" that has less water than a 1:1 solution has.
Bees in Pennsylvania need about 70 pounds of honey to get through winter.
Late February–Early March
Starvation usually occurs at this time. The queen has been laying eggs now for several weeks and young bees are starting to come on. Therefore, not only is honey being consumed by the new bees, but the existing bees also are becoming more active (they need more energy so they burn through more honey). In addition, the 60-70 lbs. of honey stored to get through winter is now depleted. If you notice bees at the top of the hive, it is a good time to give them sugar candy.
March–April
At this time, beekeepers use a 1:1 sugar syrup to stimulate brood production in established colonies and stimulate any package bees to start drawing comb. This is also a good time to treat for nosema by mixing Fumidil-B into the solution.
Lesson List
- Bee Food Duration:
- .8 Check Your Learning Duration:
- 7. Sweeten the Deal Duration:
- 6. Be a Fair Weather Friend Duration:
- 5. Manage Swarming Duration:
- 4. Create a Local "Watering Hole" Duration:
- 3. Mean Bees Are Bad Bees Duration:
- 2. Happy Bees Are Good Bees Duration:
- 1. Fences or Hedges Make Good Neighbors Duration:
- 3.7 Bee a Good Neighbor! Duration:
- How to Deliver Food Duration:
- What to Feed Your Bees Duration:
- When to Feed Your Bees Duration:
- 3.2 What Kind of Bees Should I Get? Duration:
- 3.6 How to Feed Bees Duration:
- Approaching the Hive Duration:
- 3.5 Working with the Bees Duration:
- Regulations Impacting Beekeepers Duration:
- 3.4 Where to Put Hives Duration:
- Swarms Duration:
- Nucs and Hives Duration:
- How to Install Package Bees Duration:
- 3.3 Where to Get Your Bees Duration:
- Other Strains Duration:
- Carniolan Bees Duration:
- Italian Bees Duration:
Teachers Info
Bee doctor
- Website: http://www.example.com
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